


Year of the Dog

by PhantomEngineer



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 05:35:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17298752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomEngineer/pseuds/PhantomEngineer
Summary: The clock strikes 12 and Sirius is delighted to say that it's the year of the dog. A year later, the year changes again. Two ultimately silly scenes, nothing more.





	Year of the Dog

“Happy new year, it’s the year of the dog!” Sirius said the moment the hands of the clock silently slipped to midnight, his excitement clear despite his feeble attempts to repress it to a level that might be considered more in line with the reaction of a mature adult man.

“You’ve been waiting all evening to say that,” Severus commented, not looking up from his book. Whereas Sirius had bounced up to standing, a vibrating beacon of energy unable to be tamed, he was lounging languidly in an armchair with little visible interest in the passage of time. He continued to read as Sirius slipped from human to dog form and rested his head on Severus’s lap. Severus ignored him, used to soft silky ears and refusing to be distracted. Sirius whined, snuffling slightly before switching back to human. He leaned over Severus eagerly, close enough that Severus could smell the scent of champagne on his warm breath as Severus turned a page without looking up. 

“A whole year for me,” Sirius enthused, Severus’s lack of reaction not bringing him down in the slightest, “So you have to be nice to me.”

Severus snorted at that, neither of them expecting him to be anything of the sort. Nice was not a characteristic that anyone would really associate with him. 

“Dogs are overrated,” he commented casually, turning a page with his slender fingers. Sirius looked at him with a wounded expression rather like a kicked puppy.

“No they’re not,” he protested, “Dogs are great! And I’m a great dog too…”

Severus barely reacted, shrugging slightly as he added, “You’re overrated too.”

“You love me,” Sirius objected, sitting down on the arm of the armchair with a good natured huff of frustration, “Besides, you can’t say anything is overrated, you never say anything nice about anything.”

Severus glanced up from his book, his eyes briefly meeting Sirius’s before giving the clock a casual consideration. The book remained open on his lap, not going anywhere.

“It would be such a shame if after all your excitement I had changed the clock…” he mused thoughtfully, the vaguest shadow of a smile tugging at his lips. 

“You wouldn’t…” Sirius said mournfully, an expression of disappointed betrayal replacing his tail-wagging enthusiasm, “That would be so mean…”

Severus closed his book, finally, and set it down on the small table by his chair. He smiled more widely, a slightly wicked twist to the expression. He gifted Sirius with his full attention.

“I haven’t touched the clock,” he said, “Happy new year. I’m going to bed now, do as you please…”

***

“Happy new year, the year of the dog is over,” Severus said with a smile that had far too many teeth to be considered particularly pleasant. His tone too was smug and teasing. Sirius was used to it. He might even admit to liking it, enjoying the sharp barbs even if they tended to be directed towards him.

“Happy new year,” Sirius replied haughtily, attempting to rise above the hint of a taunt even though it was clear from the lines of his body that he was failing. He had imagined that Severus would bring it up, torn between interest and apprehension. Severus could be witty but he could also easily cross over the line to cruelty, just as Sirius too could too easily slip into bitter anger spurned on by the sharpest tongue in the wizarding world. It was a very talented tongue, though. One he held a lot of affection for no matter that it routinely wound him up to a state from which he always doubted he could ever find release yet always did. 

“Out with the dogs,” Severus continued, “Boot them all out the window to make way for the year of the pig. I don’t suppose you’ll be changing yourself into a pig to celebrate?”

“Hey,” Sirius objected with an indignant laugh, “No kicking me out the window!”

“Suppose we’d have to move from the sofa,” Severus grumbled, as though that was the only reason holding him back from doing so.

Sirius leaned forward, past the protective curtain of hair and stole a kiss.


End file.
